Sunday, February 26, 2006

Recital Thoughts

What shall I play for my recital? I'm going to give it in spring of 2008. That seems like a long time from now, but it's barely enough time to learn new pieces and plan a recital (considering I, um, work full-time).

I'm thinking of finding other adult amateurs who might be interested in putting on a few little concerts for the local community as a way of "warming up" for the big Waterfall Recital in '08. Maybe we can do something every 6 months, or every three months, or somewhere in between. I think it would be fun.

So I've begun thinking about what I will play for this recital. Here are the things I have learned or am working on, with comments. The titles in purple are the ones I'm pretty certain I would want to include.

Chopin Nocturne in B-flat minor (Op. 10, No. 1): This is a beautiful piece of music. I started taking lessons again because I wanted to learn this piece. It's definitely in.

Mozart Fantasie in D-minor: I really do not like this piece. I learned some important technique-related things in the course of learning it, but the piece as a whole ("piece as a whole" ... is that an oxymoron?) doesn't do much for me. It's probably not in.

Bach: Inventions and Sinfonias: These pieces aren't really written for performance, but I wouldn't hesitate to include some of my favorites--the A-minor invention, plus all of the sinfonias I've learned (E-flat major, Gminor, and B minor). However, because I've just begun working on a Prelude & Fugue, I would probably play the P&F as the "Bach" piece of the recital.

Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C# Major (No. 3): I'm just starting these pieces and am assuming I'll be able to play them well before spring 2008 rolls around. If I am, then they'll definitely be in.

Dett: Juba Dance: This is a fun, loud, frantic, and rather difficult (FLFARD) piece. There are other FLFARD pieces out there, and I may consider learning something else before the recital. Something bigger and more involved. But the Dett is probably in (if I can ever get it sounding as good as I know it should sound!)

Liszt Transcription to Schubert's "Standchen": Brand new piece. Beautiful piece. Harder-than-I'm-used-to piece. Providing I can learn it and play it well, it will definitely be in.

Chopin Ballade No. 3 in A-flat: We're supposed to start this one this summer. Again, providing I can learn it and play it will, it will definitely be in as well.

Now. I need to think of other pieces that I might want to include. I don't have anything classical (except for the Mozart I don't want to play), and I have no sonata, so maybe a Mozart or Schubert or early Beethoven sonata would be good. Or ... I've never played a Haydn sonata, so that's an idea as well.

At the risk of overloading the recital with romantic stuff (sigh ... is there anything else?), I would really, truly love to learn the Chopin D-flat major nocturne at some point. Wouldn't it sound nice next to the Bb-minor nocturne?

I need to balance out all of the lush, beautiful pieces with fast, crisp music. Maybe a Haydn sonata really would fit the bill.

I don't have anything impressionistic in there, either. Oh, what to do, what to do?